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Happy New Year! By now you are almost halfway through the educational year (stop reading and give yourself a hug!). But since there's still work to do, here's a list to help you get your New Year off to a smooth start.

Although everyone appreciates peace after a busy holiday season, by February things can seem a bit too quiet! Break up the long winter weeks by incorporating a “Beat the Winter Blahs” day into your season! Here's how . . .

Here is a simple questionnaire you can use to give voice to your leader's joys and concerns! This feedback will help you shape the program for next year and it may also help your teachers consider their role in the future.

For Sunday school coordinators and teachers New Year’s brings a sigh of relief. You’ve survived the fall recruiting crunch, the kick-off chaos, and the Christmas celebration. Like a Sabbath on the first day of the week, take a little time to catch your breath, reflect, and regroup for the New Year.

I’m on a mission to connect with children’s ministry directors, Sunday school coordinators, and teachers to see and hear what God is doing in their midst. I’m hoping to highlight a new idea or best practice each week. Here is a fun one that's easy to implement at any time of the year.

Volunteers are BUSY — it’s getting harder and harder to get everyone together for training and encouragement. Brian Bierenga, the Children & Youth Ministry Coordinator at Brookside CRC, uses weekly email to encourage his youth team. His formula is simple.

As a busy ministry season kicks off, it’s tempting to skip the face-to-face time with our team. After all, we have bright leaders. We have a slick system for passing out supplies. We’ve chosen material that is easy to use. Why not just pass out the leader’s guide and send everyone off with a smile and a pat on the back?

Depending on where you live, your VBS program is likely to be somewhere between VERY HOT and UNBEARABLY HOT. Kids and leaders need relief from the heat. Try these ideas to keep everyone cool(er), and happier too.

Leaders of Sunday School need to share and tell the good stories of what is happening when they gather. We can choose to tell the stories of frustration and failure or the stories of how God is powerfully moving. We have an opportunity to set what becomes the prevailing narrative of Sunday School in our church.

Sometimes, volunteers are hard to find! There are some people who are just not good working with children or don’t feel comfortable working with kids. But then there are those who are good with children and just do not have the time available to lead on a weekly basis. Sometimes we have difficulty

As church leaders we have expectations of our volunteers that often go unstated because they're just "common sense" or because that is the way it has always been and everyone knows it. But sometimes our common sense isn't the same as someone else's.

My husband and I have been leading the Sunday School program at our church for a while now. We took a few minutes to think about what are some of the most important things for the care and feeding of Sunday School teachers. Here is our list.

Teacher training is hard. Attempting to schedule even one meeting to kick off the beginning of the season can create a calendar crisis...So why not zero in on the brand new leaders and give them a little personal attention?

The search is on for Sunday school leaders! If you’re having trouble finding leaders who will commit for the entire season, be creative about using people’s gifts and abilities even if their schedules are limited.

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